the course of many in these times when as happily the Preaching of the word of God hath so stung them that they must needes submit and yeelde they haue forsaken much of their former vanities and finfull practises yet their dearest beloued their darling Sinne they reserue that must needes be dispensed withall either couetousnesse or pride reuenge or some such other and that to masked ouer with some plausible pretence or other as frugalitie hansomenesse iustice and the like so wilie are men in this age to beguile themselues But then it may be demaunded that if these motions towards Repentance though but in part be of God then are they good if they be not of God from whence doe they proceede For answere whereunto we must consider that there are three principall actiue faculties in the soule of man the vnderstanding the will and the conscience the vnderstanding to direct the will to obey and the conscience a faithfull and indifferent arbitratour betweene God and man conerning both Now the vnderstanding being inlightned partly by the grounds of nature partly by the word of God of dueties to be done of euils to be auoided if the will doe obey the conscience doth continually cheere and comfort vs in what estate or miserie soeuer we are But if the will be peruerse and will not submit and obey then is the conscience as a continuall torment euer accusing and condemning vs of high treason against God and therefore when as our will is not nor cannot be brought vnto a true reformation we are of necessitie forced to counterfeit and delude the conscience with some kinde of degrees of deuotion and outward seruices euen to still those cries which if they were not staied were little better then a very entrance into hell So that for the most part those same vsuall and common sighes and fained groanes which many men would faine make themselues beleeue are signes and tokens of Repentance are but the vpbraidings and exprobrations of conscience which doe then accuse them and those same flashes of light and hope which from the same they conceiue vnto themselues of the loue and fauour of God 1 King 22. are but the suggestions of that false spirit which was in the mouth of Ahabs Prophets that by their lying and false incouragement they may be hardned in their sinnes that so their fall might be the greater A third deceit whereby men flatter themselues is a conceit or rather a misconceit of their faith attributing so much vnto it that they thinke there is scarce any thing else absolutely and necessarily required of them and that because by it alone they are ioyned to Christ nothing can disioyne them and therefore that the strict exaction of so seuere a course of repentance is needelesse Wherein they discouer their vaine ignorance that though they thinke they see yet are they still groaping in the darke and are going they know not well which way For without Repentance their faith is false and vaine For we must know that there are three seuerall acts or degrees required to the perfection of faith according to which it is distinguished to be threefold either fides apprehensionis or fides approbationis or fides applicationis the one being the act of the vnderstanding the other of the will and the last of the conscience The first apprehends the promises of God as true the second approues them as good and the third applies them vnto our selues in particular assuring vs they doe belong vnto vs. All these seuerall dueties and degrees are required vnto the compleate essence of faith And as the last cannot be where the two former first are notso the two first without it are fruitlesse and imperfect Now the two first degrees of faith namely to apprehend the promises of God to be true and approue them as good may be in a man without repentance But neither of these are that true sauing euangelicall faith which can assure vs that the benefits of Christs merits doe belong vnto vs in particular These are onely generall motiues vnto all kinde of good actions these are that generall beliefe which is required by the Law of nature of euery man as well heathen as Christian for the preseruation of a good conscience in all actions whatsoeuer as well legall as euangelicall To illustrate this by an example Suppose this to be the proposition Hee that confesseth his sinnes and forsaketh them shall finde mercie Pro. 28.13 Where the promise of mercie is made vnto repentant sinners Now the first act of faith in reference therunto is by the vnderstanding to apprehend it as true Iames 2.20 but this faith is not perfect nor sauing for the diuels haue it the diuels beleeue and tremble saith Saint Iames. The second degree of faith is by the will to approue and like it as good and yet is this neither that true sauing faith for it was in Balaam Herod Agrippa and it is in euery carnall professour none excepted Rom. 10.15 Neither of these therefore nor both of these are of any force or validitie to confirme the promise of mercie vnto our ownesoules in particular which is the chiefest propertie of faith And yet those are all that faith which is in any Christian man afore repentance and the chiefe motiue by which the spirit of God doth stirre vp the heart of man vnto repentance Now after repentance at least the beginning thereof followes the third act of faith by the conscience that applies the promise vnto our selues and so our faith is made perfect as Saint lame speaketh He that repenteth of his sinnes saith the holy Ghost shall sinde mercie that 's the Thesis Now after repentance the conscience makes the assumption but I haue repented of my sinnes and then the conclusion directly followeth that therefore the promise of mercie belongs vnto me This then is that true liuely and sauing faith that assures vs of the grace of God this is that faith whereby the spirit beares witnesse with our spirits that wee are the adoped sonnes of God Yet would I not be thought to inferre hereby that there are in a Christian three kindes but onely three degrees of faith For although that both the apprehending and approuing faith as they are in diuels and wicked men are things different from a true sauing faith yet in a regenerate man they are not distinct faiths they doe not differrespecie they are not of different kines but onely in reference vnto a true and perfect faith are as disposuiones in ordine ad habitum as dispositions towards a habite or as media tendentiaad finem as meanes tending vnto the end of their perfection Differing from the sauing faith no otherwise then the power of vegetation and sense being distinct essences in other creatures doe from the reasonable soule vnto which they onely are as subordinate faculties in man There growes many difficulties and much confusion in the vnderstanding of the sacred misteries of our saluation for
A SERMON OF THE NATVRE AND END OF Repentance Shadowed in the Ministerie of John the Baptist Preached the Sunday afore Lent 1613. IOHN 3.3 Verely verely I say vnto thee except that a man be borne of water and the Spirit hee cannot enter into the kingdome of God LONDON Printed by T. S. for Edmund Weauer and are to sould at the great South-dore of Pauls 1616. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER in God THOMAS Lord Bishop Elect of CHESTER my very good LORD My Reuerend Lord BEing heretofore moued for some considerations to publish this Sermon I remained somewhat doubtfull in the Dedication thereof vntill the newes of your Lordships aduancement quickly setled my resolution For where better could I haue implor'd Patronage then where both eminent authoritie of Place as also your Lordships particular fauour towards me seemed no lesse enforcedly to inuite by loue then compell by dutie For which respect I haue now presumed vpon your Lordships acceptance trusting the rather to obtaine pardon for this my bold intrusion and also indulgent censure of these my vnworthy labours presented to your learned view as chalenging the goodnesse of your Lordships disposition and freely offered courtesie guiltie of this my attempt and a chiefe cause hereof The Lord God guide and assist your Lordship with the blessed directions of his most holy spirit in the discharge of your high calling in this life and in the life to come giue you the reward of immortalitie and euerlasting glory Your Lordships in all duetie to be commanded WILLIAM CASE OF THE NATVRE AND END OF REpentance shadowed in the Ministerie of IOHN the BAPTIST IOHN 1. Ver. 31. Therefore am I come Baptizing with Water THe life of a Christian in this world is a medlie consisting of much varietie a continuall entercourse of changeable succession Eccles 3.2 c. For there is a time to be borne saith Salomon and a time to die a time to plant and a time to plucke vp a time to kill and a time to heale a time to breake downe and a time to build vp A time to weepe and a time to laugh a time to daunce and a time to mourne Sic tristia secundis secunda tristibus vicissitudo acerba sortis temperat So wise is the euer admirable Creatour in all his workes saith one as to temper the actions of the life of man with such proportion and counterpoyse that no prosperitie shall be without his succeeding inconuenience no aduersitie without his comfort to chase out of mans minde securitie and despaire the onely enemies of all wise and vertuous courses That time beloued is but a small whiles past when there was nothing heard in your gates but the voice of ioy and gladnesse of mirth and solace and that vpon so good a cause as a better the world was neuer made partaker of the memorie of the blessed Incarnation of the worlds Redeemer But now least the proud heart of man should be exalted aboue measure and puffed vp through aboundance of consolations Behold there is a contrary occasion of a contrary affection the sinne of man to counteruaile the grace of God that as afore we haue had cause of reioycing and feasting so now the time approacheth and is at hand wherein we haue inuitation to lamenting and fasting So that hauing already celebrated with mirth and great ioy the memorie of Christs comming into the world it remaines in the next place that now by sorrow and repentance we prepare for his comming vnto vs. For it is the same path which our Euangelist hath trodden out vnto vs in this Chapter Wherein after he had in the beginning thereof Diuinely proposed the comming of that light into the world which the world being shut vp in blindenesse was not able to comprehend in the next place immediately he proceedeth vnto the Ministerie of Iohn Baptist the Ministerie of humiliation and repentance the better to prepare the soules of men to entertaine that heauenly guest for which in that estate they naturally were in they were most vnfit For indeede it was the meere scope of Iohns Ministerie to prepare those by repentance which by the ministerie of Christ were afterwards to be sanctified by faith and other graces of the spirit Which thing as the Baptist vpon occasion diuers times in sundrie passages of this Chapter specifieth and witnesseth of himselfe so specially in this place vpon the sight of Iesus comming towards him as you may see in the coherence he inferreth this same testimonie of his owne Ministerie in the words which I haue now read vnto you Therefore am I come Baptizing with water intimating vnto his Disciples two things which are now also of vs to be considered His Office and the end of his office His Office and Ministerie in these words I am come Baptizing with water and the end of his Office implied and included in the illatiue particle therefore that is to say that Christ might be made manifest vnto Israel therefore am I come Baptizing with water So that in these words now read vnto you I haue occasion giuen to speake of the Office of Iohn Baptist in a twofold respect First of the positiue absolute nature of it what it is and the parts thereof And secondly of the relatiue nature of it how of it selfe it is but a rudiment and a preparatiue to a further degree of perfection and yet notwithstanding so necessarie that the other without it is likewise imperfect The absolute nature of his office and ministerie is here noted out vnto vs to be the Baptisme of water which as it is many times taken figuratiuely in the Scriptures in diuers significations so especially in this place by a synechadoche it is taken for the whole course of Iohns calling and Ministerie Whereof thereare two parts The substance of it which was the doctrine of repentance for the remission of sinnes And secondly the ceremonie of it or the seale of that doctrine the outward administration of the Sacrament of Baptisme To speake therefore properly of the substance of Iohns Baptisme is to speake of Repentance which hee Preached onely in the whole course of his Ministerie Now what repentance is where should we better learne then of him who was the Preacher of Repentance of the Baptist himselfe the precursor of the worlds Sauiour who teacheth it first by Precept secondly by the parts of it and thirdly by Patterne in his owne example By Precept shewing that it must be by parts of it shewing what it must be and by patterne shewing how it must be practised of all that hope to reape benefit by the incarnation of Christ Iesus And first he taught it by precept in the third of Mathew ver 3. When he saith Repent for the Kingdome of God is at hand Which sentence seemeth not so much a precept imposing by commandment a duety necessarily to be performed as a counsell because a reason is annexed for then he might haue said Repent and no more Neither
manifest vnto the world and now also afore Christ be manifested vnto vs both they then were and wee now are subiect vnto the Law and bound vnder a curse to fulfill the same But now forasmuch as it was impossible vnto the Law Rom. 8.3 being of no strength because of the flesh Iames 4.5 the spirit also that dwelleth in vs lusting after enuie as S. Iames speakes God sending his owne Sonne to redeeme vs that were vnder the Law Gal. 4.4.5 can it stand with the Iustice of God so to dishonour his Law as to receiue vs to mercy whiles we still be contemners of it No assuredly But such onely doth the Lord accept in Christ as feeling themselues vnable to fulfill the Law doe for that cause submit and prostrate themselues at the feete of Gods Iustice with acknowledgement of their desert and with penitent and sorrowfull hearts aske pardon for their sinnes Not that the Lord requireth or accepteth repentance as meritorious or in that kinde any way necessarie for his mercy is onely sufficient but that a rebell cannot be receiued without submission For the subiect of the Gospell of Christ is a promulgation or a proclamation of pardon vnto all such as indeed are rebels against God but yet not if they continue so but only vnto such rebels as come in and submit themselues It is cleare therefore and euident that the paths of Repentance lead and conduct vs vnto the Kingdome of Grace Mat. 11.28 For Come vnto me saith our Lord Iesus all yee that are weary and heauy laden and I will ease you Now can the Lord ease vs of sinne when we are already at so much ease that wee feele not our sinnes they trouble vs not No for the scope I say of Christian do ctrine is the comfort of them whose hearts are ouer-charged with the burden of sinne Furthermore if this will not suffice let vs take recourse vnto the Ceremoniall Law which was but a shadow for shadowes sometimes may be better discerned then the substance it selfe if the sight be weake As for example wee better discerne the forme of the Sunne by its shadow in the water then in looking vpon its owne body because our sight is weake Numb 21. So looke vpon the brazen Serpent a figure and shadow of Christ which had power giuen it to heale those that felt themselues bitten by the fiery Serpents if they looked vp vnto the same noting thereby thus much that when the terrours of Gods iudgements for our sinnes are so heauy vpon our soules that they presse vs vnto the very death if then by a liuely faith we can but looke vp vnto Christ we shall be healed our sinnes shall be remitted yet with this Prouiso this is alwayes to be presupposed that wee can neuer looke vp to be healed vnlesse first wee feele our selues wounded And if wee want instances take the Parable of the Seruant that fell downe at his Masters feet Mat. 18.26 desiring patience and forbearance and the Parable also of the Prodigall Sonne Luke 15.20 who hauing dissolutely wasted all his portion returned home in great sorrow and anguish of heart and so thereby obtayned grace and fauour againe I will not stand any longer in amplifying and enlarging the proofe hereof it being a thing that the tenour of Scripture doth alwayes import and the practise of the Saints doth euery where confirme that Christ cannot be truely manifested vnto vs that is his merits and mercy can neuer eyther be effectuall vnto vs or rightly apprehended by vs vnlesse wee bee baptised with Iohns Baptisme and washed with the water of Repentance This therefore being so if wee doe but reflect our thoughts from what wee should be vnto what wee are and euery one examine his owne heart what his estate is and how many are there that eyther will be assured or shall greatly doubt that they haue as yet no clayme no interest nor benefit at all by the merits of Christs death because they feele no alteration in themselues from what they haue beene at the first they haue neuer submitted themselues to the ministerie of Iohn Baptist they haue neuer truely and throughly repented them of their sinnes and therefore as yet Christ is not made manifest vnto them howsoeuer they haue deluded themselues But yet here is not all Reu. 2.24 for there are profunda Satanae whereof S. Iohn speakes in the second of the Reuelation that same deepenesse of Sathan which euery man cannot discouer in himselfe For it were well if being in a damnable estate men might feele and know they were what they are for then there might be better hope of amendment and possibilitie of reconciliation with God But it is not so for there are delusions mysteries mists of iniquitie whereby a man shall be so deceiued if hee looke not very carefully and warily vnto himselfe in iudging of his spirituall estate that many men questionlesse and that to with a good opinion of themselues slip sodainly away and descend vnto the deepe at vnawares It is not then from our purpose somewhat to vnmaske the vizard of hypocrisie and to discouer the subtile illusions of Sathan that seeing the deceit and danger wee may the better auoyd the same The first illusion therefore whereby Hypocrites are deceiued is too much relying and trusting in the outward formes of Gods seruice For it is true that they acknowledge the doctrine and Baptisme of Iohn to be necessarie Yet what then haue they not sufficiently submitted themselues vnto it when they haue beene baptised what need they then thinke they to make any further seruple of being in the fauour of God Is not the sacrament of Baptisme that same Lauacrum Regenerationis 1 Tit. 3.5 that bath of Regeneration as the Apostle cals it whereby they are made members of the Church of God sealed for the Children of God and so assared of the remission of their sinnes To which I answere that it is a remarkable signe and token of a man whose heart is not sincere to glory and please himselfe in the outward performance of religsous Ceremonies neglecting in the meane time the true subslance of Grace and the feare of God An example whereof wee haue in the lewes who chiefely insulted in the Customes and Rites of the Law crying Ier. 7.4.5 The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord when as the Lord witnesseth that hee had nothing to doe with their new Moones and their Sacrifices their hearts being so obdurate and their liues so prophane as they were for that that hee especiall required of them was to amend their wayes and their workes So it is in like manner in this particular of Baptisme wherein wee are neuer to thinke it sefe to presume of Gods grace by bare coniecturall hopes in eleuating the outward meanes of life the meanes fayling that should come betweene For though the Sacraments and their manner of administration be Gods owne ordinances yet
notwithstanding doe they include a subordination of meanes without which wee cannot actually be brought to enioy what God doth secretly intend So that to build onely vpon notionall conceits and outward formalities of Gods seruice as though they were of themselues eyther acceptable to God or any whit behoouefull to our good vnlesse wee keepe our selues in the wayes wherein hee hath appointed vs to walke is but a selfe-deceiuing vanitie And therefore the outward forme and administration of this Sacrament of Baptisme is ineffectuall and vnauaileable without repentance true and serious For the bare forme of Baptisme in it selfe is but a meere Ceremonie and though after a sort necessary yet not absolutely necessary to mans saluation although the graces represented by it be indispensable For wee may be saued without Baptismall water but not without Baptismall Grace neyther doth euery one receiue the grace of God that receiues the Sacrament of his grace For howsoeuer God vse the Sacrament as an instrument to giue and assure vs of these graces so that none doe ordinarily partake of the grace of remission of sinnes without the Sacrament of Baptisme duely administred yet is not remission of sinnes so tyed vnto it that whosoeuer hath the one is necessarily made partaker of the other but that thousands receiue the outward signe which neuer shall taste of the fauour of God Furthermore that wee may better conceiue the errour of these men and may more perfectly apprehend the truth of this poynt wee are to know that there is a visible Church that is a communitie of men seperated from others and sanctified through the profession of that truth which God hath taught the world by his Sonne And there is an invisible Church that body mysticall whereof Christ is only the head that building vndiscernable by mortall eyes wherein CHRIST is the chiese Corner-stone In the visible Church there are outward meanes in the invisible Church there are inward graces required as meanes to assure vs of the fauour of God Now though hee can neuer be a member of the invisible Church which is not first a member of the visible yet euery one that is a member of the visible is not a member of the invisible for Rom. 9.6 all are not Israell that are of Israell That which makes vs members of the visible Church are the outward visible meanes of grace and our submission thereunto the preaching of the Word the receiuing of the Sacraments and the like That which makes vs members of the invisible Church are the inward graces of the Spirit Repentance Faith Hope and Loue. Professing the truth in the one in the other obeying the truth is of necessitie required Now according vnto these our iudgement of our selues and others ought to be after a different manner of others Charitie must direct vs of our selues Faith must assure vs. If wee see others submit themselues to the outward ordinarie meanes of life the rule of Charitie that hopeth all things is that wee hope well of all men and therefore that those that we see are outwardly baptised wee iudge as inwardly regenerated because our iudgement of others can extend no further then the outward appearance But if wee haue no other assurance of our owne safetie but by outward meanes our hopes are but vncertaine For that which wee hope of others wee must feele in our selues wee must feele that inward grace within vs which makes the outward meanes effectuall vnto vs and therefore if wee feele not Repentance in our selues our Baptisme is ineffectuall and vnauaileable Againe in the second place although men of dissolute and scandalous carriage may by enidence of reason be brought to confesse that their outward Bpatisme is vnauaileable without inward and true Repentance yet doth the Diuell through their owne corruption so farre preuaile with them as to perswade them and make them thinke that they repent when as indeede they doe nothing lesse For whereas Repentance doth especially consist in a dying to sinne Rom. 6.2 how shall they that are dead to sinne saith the Apostle yet liue therein If therefore we say that by dying to sinne we haue fellowship with Christ 1 Ioh. 1.6 and yet walke in darkenesse we lie and doe not truely saith Saint Iohn And yet for all this such is the misterie of imquitie that by the subtiltie of Satan and the falsenesse of mens owne hearts they still thinke they doe repent when indeede they repent not For there may be some generall dispositions vnto Repentance euen in Hypocrites as a willing submission vnto the outward means of life a desire of Saluation a kinde of hate of griefe and sorrow for some sinnes some kinde of obedience also vnto many of Gods commandements which may giue them some cause to thinke that the spirit of God workes in them the grace of repentance when as in truth it is nothing so because there is euersome great defect therein which makes it imporfect and so vnacceptable either it is not sincere or not entire or built vpon some indirect and oblique respect or other As first for example in the Pharises that came to Iohns Baptisme there was questionlesse some doubt made them in some sort think well of themselues but yet it was not sincere Math. 3.7 as it appeares by Iohns reproofe So also it is said of Horod that he heard Iohn gladly which quieted his couscience in some degree vet it was but for a time it continued not Againe in Balaaem there was both a feare of euill and a desire of good he was very loath vnwilling and fearefull to curse the children of Israel and he also desired from his heart he might die as the righteous but yet these affections in him were not true they proceeded from a seruile base deiected minde onely formidene poenae for feare of the danger hee should incurre if he did otherwise So likewise in Saul there was some kinde of obedience to Gods commandements yet was not his obedience entire for being commanded to destroy all and spare nothing of Amelecke which for the most part he did yet he reserued Agag and some few of the best things pretending to offer them in sacrifice vnto the Lord at his returne contrary to his commission so that though a wicked impenitent man may obay God in much ye there is alwaies something he loues better then Gods Commandement and that also must be cloaked ouer with religions pretence And lastly Ananias and Saphira vpon whose affections the doctrine of Repentance tooke such impression that it made them sell their possessions and all they had lay downe the price at the Apostles feete onely they kept backe some small part thereof to helpe them if occasion should serue which one would haue thought would not haue beene censured with such a heauie iudgement as it was for it s euer the propertie of an Hypocrite to guie some but not all when as God requires all or none at all Now such is
contempt of the Church-gouernment and Gouernours all which might giue iust occasion to suspect hypocrisie in any one but onely for this cause because they were not eyther so monstrous blasphemers or so great carousers at leastwise so carelesse and dissolute liuers as themselues But leauing such monsters of Nature to the mercy of him who is onely able to transforme and amend them let it neuer be heard amongst vs beloued that any truely vertuous and Christianly disposed minde should euer so much as once open his mouth to gaine-say that which Christ hath spoken Luke 13.3.5 that if wee repent not we shall all surely perish The least sinne eyther in thought word or deed is death without repentance Let not therefore the falsenesse of our owne hearts delude vs nor the feare of despaire discourage vs nor the imputation of mopish Melancholy which the world casts vpon Repentance withhold vs from vndertaking the same for it is the Harbinger of the King of Heauen it is the beginning of the Gospell of Christ it is an entrance into those heauenly spirituall ioyes wherewith the Saints vpon the earth are endued being such as the world can neyther giue vnto vs nor take away from vs. For there is neuer any heart more filled with the ioyes of the Spirit then that heart that hath taken the greatest sorrow for his sinnes Neyther is the portion of Grace giuen vnto any by a greater measure then vnto him in whom there is the greatest measure of repentance And though the naturall man that perceiues not the things of God thinkes it a Paradoxe that a Christian should reioyce in mourning yet the Holy Ghost hath recorded it by S. Peter as a consolation for the Saints of God vnto the end of the world 1 Pet. 1.6.8 that though for a season they be in heauinesse if need require through manifold tentations yet doe these beleeue and reioyce with ioyes vnfpeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 5.6 Humble your selues therefore saith S. Peter vnder the mighty hand of God that hee may exalt you in due time Iames 4.9.10 Sorrow yee and weepe saith S. Iames let your laughter be turned into mourning and your ioy into heauinesse Cast downe your selues before the Lord and hee will lift you vp Else will hee saith Iob Iob 40.5 who sitteth in the heauens decked with maiestie and excellencie and arrayed with beauty and glory cast abroad the indignation of his wrath and behold euery one that is proud and abase him and looke on euery one that is arrogant and bring him low And for conclusion of all let euery man liuing yea euen the greatest despiser remember that it is an euerlasting truth registred in the sacred Booke of God Whereof Luke 16.17 the heauens and earth shall passe afore one iot or tittle shall fall away That Amos 6.1 woe is vnto them that are at ease in Sion and Luke 6.25 woe vnto them that now laugh for they shall weepe And on the contrary They that sow in teares shall reape in ioy Psal 116.5 Mat. 5.4 and blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted Now the Lord for his infinite mercy sake so preuaile in vs and ouer-rule vs by the power of his holy Spirit that in the due and serious consideration of our owne miserie by sinne wee may so partake with him in his sorrowes and sufferings in this life that wee may hereafter be made partakers with him of those vnspeakable and euerlasting ioyes in the life to come which hee reserueth in the Kingdome of heauen for all those onely that long and waite for his apearing Which the Lord grant vnto vs for Chirst his sake vnto whom with the Father and his most blessed Spirit bee all glory and maiestie all prayse and thanksgiuing both now and for euer FJNJS